Opponents call for halt to fracking

Johannesburg - A South African environmental group renewed its call for a moratorium on shale-gas fracking, as the government moves closer to a decision on whether to allow the process opponents say imperils water quality.

The Treasure Karoo Action Group, named after the semi-desert area of South Africa that has attracted petroleum exploration companies, started in Johannesburg today the latest phase of a campaign to block the drilling technique.

An April 2011 moratorium placed on shale-gas exploration in South Africa ended in September 2012.

The government on October 16 published proposed regulations for hydraulic fracturing as it seeks to tap as much as 390 trillion cubic feet of resources in the Karoo.